New public Wi-Fi network for Transport of London

"Thanks to meticulous planning and collaborative working with Fujitsu’s team, we were able to successfully deliver wireless internet to over 210 stations in a very tight time frame and within budget, with an average of 800,000 user sessions per day in the first six months"

Steve Townsend,
CIO, TfL

The customer

TfL was created in 2000 and is responsible for implementing the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy. Its transport network is responsible for 30 million journeys every day across London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, buses, Barclays Cycle Hire, Tramlink, the Congestion Charge as well as 580km of main roads. TfL is also responsible for all the traffic lights and regulating the City’s taxis and private hire trade.

The challenge

Transport for London (TfL) wanted to introduce wireless internet access in as many Underground stations as possible in the run up to the London 2012 Games. The logistics of designing and installing infrastructure up to 200ft underground demanded an agile and collaborative strategic partner.

The solution

TfL appointed Fujitsu to design its wireless underground network in an innovative way that balanced its operational requirements for data while simultaneously providing a great Wi-Fi experience to the public and delivering value for money.

The benefit

The wireless network enables trains to send near real-time data allowing proactive maintenance to take place, increasing reliability and minimising delays to customers.

It also supports London Underground employees to securely connect to the network, giving them enhanced mobility and improving performance at work.

The public Wi-Fi helps TfL to enhance the passenger experience throughout each station with download speeds typically twice as fast as the average UK home connection.